PlantNET - FloraOnline

Description: Slender shrub, to 1 m high; branchlets glabrous or finely hispid.

Leaves mainly elliptic, sometimes obovate, 7–15 mm long, 2–3.3 mm wide; margins minutely toothed towards apex; lamina discolorous, glabrous, ± flat, lower surface faintly striate; petiole c. 1 mm long.

Flowers erect, solitary plus rudiment or often 2 together in upper leaf axils, white; peduncles to 1.5 mm long; bracteoles 1.2–1.5 mm long. Sepals 2.1–2.5 mm long. Corolla tube 1–1.5 mm long, glabrous; lobes 2.3–2.9 mm long, internally densely bearded on upper two-thirds with hairs reflexed.

Distribution and occurrence: Usually grows in swampy heath on sandy soil, also recorded from dry sclerophyll forest in stony areas and below rock cliff faces on sandstone, south from Brooms Head.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, CT, ST
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas.


AVH map***

Text by J. M. Powell, except for groups with contributors listed
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)

Life History

Vegetative spread No.

Longevity 5--20 years (D. Keith pers. comm.).

Primary juvenile period May attain flowering maturity in less than 4 years.

Flowers White, August--September, peak September.

Fruit/seed Cylindrical, dry fruit, 4.5 mm long, brown, November--December, average seed weight 8 mg, seed with elaiosome ? (J. Howell pers. comm.).

Dispersal, establishment and growth Diaspore: fruit, ant-adapted food body for dispersal (Westoby et al 1990, Rice & Westoby 1981)

Fire response Killed by fire, recruitment mainly after fire (D. Keith pers. comm.)

Habitat

Habitat Swamp, heath and woodland.

Altitude 0--1200 m Annual rainfall 1200--1600 mm

Typical local abundance Frequent--occasional.

Vegetation Shrub, swamp and damp heath e.g. with Banksia oblongifolia, B. paludosa, B. ericifolia, woodland e.g. with Eucalyptus haemastoma, E. gummifera.

Substrate Skeletal sandy soils on sandstone, low nutrient soils.

APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.